


the golden years or something

by halcyonskies



Series: 100Themes: Dean/Cas [24]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Growing Old, Humor, Insecure Dean, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4922989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyonskies/pseuds/halcyonskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For God's sake, it's not like it's the end of the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the golden years or something

**Author's Note:**

> 100Themes Challenge - #75: Crisis
> 
> sorry, this one is a little long too.

“Dean, this is getting ridiculous!” Castiel complained, last nerve snapping clean away when Dean emerged from a two hour-long session in the bathroom with _the wrong hair color._ The last time Castiel had seen his husband, Dean’s hair had been ash-brown with a well-blended splash of gray at the temples. Now it was something else; still kind of brown, but blonder than it had been probably since Dean was a kid.

“Does it look really bad?” Dean asked, sounding defeated. He certainly looked it, with his drawn expression and hunched shoulders. It made Castiel ache, but irritation wasn’t far behind.

“It looks _wrong._ Sooner or later you’re going to have to accept that you’re growing older.”

This had been going on for the past few months. Castiel didn’t know exactly how it had started, but evidently one day Dean must have woken up and decided he was absolutely _terrified_ of getting old. At forty-five his husband was no spring chicken, certainly, but it sort of baffled Castiel how much change Dean was trying to force on his body. If you had asked him, he would have said it wouldn’t hurt Dean to eat a little healthier (it was no secret he sometimes worried about outliving Dean, considering his husband’s dietary choices), but the newfound obsession with working out and fitting into his old jeans and _dyeing his hair_ were just too much.

“Come here.” Castiel held out his hands, keeping them there until Dean relented and came forward. He squeezed gently, pulling Dean down with him onto the couch. “Now, I know I’ve let this go on for far too long, but what in the world is with you lately?”

Dean grumbled something into Castiel’s chest.

“I’m sorry, you’re going to have to speak English for a moment.”

“It’s _dumb.”_

“Knowing you, you’re probably right.”

That earned him a groan of frustration, which he reveled in for a moment. Then, “C’mon, Dean. Tell me what’s been bothering you so much. What good is being married for twenty years if you can’t tell me what’s on your mind?”

For a while it seemed Dean wasn’t going to share. Then, he pushed away from Castiel and leaned back against the sofa. “I dunno, Cas. One day I woke up and I was just really worried about not being good enough.”

“Oh, please – _please_ don’t tell me you’re afraid I’m going to leave you again. We’re definitely too old for that song-and-dance.”

“Ugh. Told you it was dumb.” Dean collapsed against him again, hiding his face.

Castiel, despite his exasperation, stroked a hand soothingly up and down Dean’s back. He decided he was just going to have to resign himself to one of these episodes every few years.

“If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t be here, would I? Please put your mind at ease, Dean – I like you how you are. Gray hair and belly and creaky joints included. Do you think any less of me for not being as young as I used to be? Does it bother you that I’m not as strong or firm or flexible?”

“Well, that last one–”

“Shut up!” Castiel laughed, smacking his husband on the ass. “My point is that none of that stuff matters to me. I wouldn’t have married you if I hadn’t already imagined us as crotchety ninety year-olds rocking away on our front porch.”

Dean flapped a hand at him, a lazy admonishment. “You’re being disgustingly sappy again. Stop it.”

“Well, you were the one being ridiculous. Think about that next time the man-pain flares up again, will you?”

The conversation ended shortly after that (they were too busy fumbling with their clothes to bother with much talking), but Castiel couldn’t help but notice that things returned to normal in the coming days. He could only hope that every crisis they faced in the future would be so easy to blow over.


End file.
